


This Must Be The Place

by cathrheas



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Developing Friendships, Gen, Introspection, Reincarnation, this fic isnt explicitly shippy but theyre gay dont worry.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:34:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23606119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cathrheas/pseuds/cathrheas
Summary: The woman who never dies meets the one who dies again and again; the woman who lost everything meets the woman who never had anything to lose.
Relationships: Rhea & Anna
Comments: 3
Kudos: 28





	This Must Be The Place

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to check out [my Twitter](https://twitter.com/cathrheas)!

It happened the same way every time. Anna wakes up in a bed that is always hers, never someone else’s, sits up, and hears the coins in her pocket. She never wakes up broke—merchant’s luck. But she never wakes up with quite the same amount of money she had before she left her last life. No matter how long she lives, whether it’s twenty years or twenty days, she never ages and she never keeps all of her money.

She nearly went insane, the first time it happened. When she first died, she was so young—only twenty-four. She was bleeding out in front of her own tent, jumped by some thieves, and the last thing she remembered seeing was the crimson-red patch of dirt in front of her. And then she woke up in a bed. And she ran outside, and asked the man who lived next to the house she was in, “Whose house is this?”

“It’s yours, of course,” he replied. “Anna, what’s wrong? You look pale.”

She went back into the house, and she looked around. Nothing there was familiar except the sound of the coins clinking in her pouch.

* * *

It took a couple go-rounds before she figured out what was going on. At least, to some extent. There was nothing she could do about it, because even if she asked someone, there was a slim chance they’d believe her. So she went through lifetimes like that, figuring out what worked and what didn’t. Waking up and asking her neighbors what year it was wasn’t a good idea, she learned. It was hard not to ask, though—what was she supposed to do after being thrust into the middle of someone else’s life? Or was it really hers?

_ I could have at least been reborn as a kid, _ she sometimes thought.  _ With a family. People I could get to know. _

But she was never reborn as a child. She was always twenty-four—probably. Not like she could ask anyone.

When she woke up in her new bed, she’d count her coins and walk out of her door. Greet her neighbors like things were normal. And then, she’d go to her shop. She always had a shop, conveniently. Sometimes a tent, sometimes a cart, sometimes just a stack of crates sitting by her front door. But Anna was always selling something. That made up, somewhat, for the shortage of coins that ended up in her pocket.

And that’s all she did. Sometimes she lived until she just got sick. Sometimes she only lived a week. Once, she died the same day she reincarnated. It was hard, at first, because she started getting attached to the people that went by, but she learned the hard way that it wasn’t worth it. She started to think of them as characters in a novel. Boyfriends, girlfriends, best friends—despite the joy of the temporary company, they had nothing to do with her. They were just characters, meaningless words that disappeared as she turned the pages.

* * *

Anna started to get a handle on things, geographically. She got really good at waking up and finding out where she was just from going outside. Current events, though—those were hard to understand.

She reincarnated again. Woke up, counted her change, went outside. She’s living in a little village, and the people next to her have a kid.

“Good morning, Miss Anna,” he says, bright-eyed.

“Good morning, kiddo! How are you today?”

“Good! Did you hear the news?”

“Nope. What news?”

“There’s a rumor floating around that Seiros is coming here! To our village! Soon! Some say she’s already here!”

Anna didn’t know who that was. What exactly was the gap between when she last died and her reincarnation...? Well, it didn’t matter. She’d adjusted to gaps in information, and she was good at acting like she knew things. Better yet, it was fun to figure out what the hell was going on. Gave her something to do. A dancer, maybe? A famous bard? Some royalty...? “That’s amazing! Who would have thought? Seiros, coming to our village.”

“I know! The daughter of Sothis, coming  _ here. _ Mama has been talking about it all morning,” the boy said.

Anna couldn’t hide her surprise for that one. “Sorry, who?” 

The boy pouted. “Um, Saint Seiros? You know, the daughter of Sothis!”

_ The daughter of who?! _ Anna chuckled, trying to play it off. Kids weren’t too hard to fool. “Right! Sorry, didn’t hear you. Well, that’s great. Can’t wait to meet her. See you around, kiddo,” Anna said, quickly. She turned on her heel to leave, then turned back. “Oh—and come by my shop, okay? Make sure you ask your mom for a couple of coins before you do!”

* * *

_ Sothis. Seiros. Alright... _

Anna mulled it over as she counted the day’s proceeds. The little boy hadn’t come back. Anna wasn’t upset about him putting a little damper in her profits—no, she wanted to hear who that Saint was. In her last life, religion in Fodlan was basically nonexistent. And all of a sudden, there were Saints?

Thankfully, the boy wasn’t the only source of gossip. As she counted coins and handed out wares, Anna kept her ears tuned.

“...Saint Macuil is so intelligent. If he...”

“...Saint Cethleann! If I could just meet her once...”

“...Sothis’ children are a blessing to Fodlan!”

“I heard the next town over has received Sothis’ blessing...”

“I  _ swear _ I saw Saint Seiros near the river today.”

Sounded like malarkey, Anna decided. A bunch of random do-gooders. She hated people like that. Good deeds ruined the market, because then people thought they didn’t have to pay for things. Of course, she couldn’t say that aloud...those people might have lost their mind if she had anything bad to say about their new idols.

“Pardon me.”

Anna looked up from her coin purse.  _ Clink clink. _ “Welcome! How can I help you?”

The woman standing in front of her donned a black cloak, pulled over her head to hide most of her face. Anna tried to get a better look at her, tucking her coin purse away—if this person were a thief, she’d have no way of running after them if she couldn’t see them. Anna kept a hand on the hilt of her sword—just in case.

“I have heard that you are in possession of this town’s best wares.”

“Yup, that’s me! You’re looking for Anna, right?”

“Indeed.”

“Anything in particular you’re looking for?”

“Just to browse, for a moment.” Yeah, right. Anna could smell a thief from a mile away, but...she couldn’t turn away every shady customer. Instead, she kept an eye on the woman, gripping the hilt of her sword every time something was picked up. The stranger would just eyeball things before putting them back down, then moving onto the next. Anna felt...she wasn’t afraid. Just uneasy. 

_ Can this lady just give me her cash and get lost? _ “Hey,” Anna said, leaning in and cradling her chin in one hand. “Just for you, I’m running a sale: twenty-five percent off every—”

“You look familiar.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

Oh, boy. “Yeah, I’ve got a bunch of sisters, we all tend to look alike, so...”

“No. It was you. I have seen this shop before. These very wares.”

“We’re all in the merchant business, y’see. Runs in our blood. So, the market tends to be similar—”

“Where are you from?”

Anna bit her tongue. Nobody had ever asked her this directly. Nobody had ever...seemed so close to knowing. “This little village right here! Born and raised.”

“I see. Well, I am a traveler, in case you could not tell.”  _ I can tell you’re getting on my nerves! _ “What is the name of this village? If you could tell me, I would be so grateful.”

“C’mon, everybody knows,” Anna said. She’d never had to go this far. Ever. She had to turn the tables, quick. They might’ve strung her up for witchcraft if they found out her secret. But then she’d just die again, and come back again...well, no matter. She wanted that woman gone. “Hey, you’re being a little strange, y’know? Coming to my shop, talking to me like I don’t belong here. I think it’s high time you—”

The woman sighed. “Mother is right. Humans...are incapable of being truthful. Incapable of being honest with one another, which leads you to ruin...I suppose you really do need her help in reforming this lost society. What a shame that you all have lived like this for so long.”

Anna sat up in her chair a bit, staring at the woman’s downturned lips. Was the woman insane, perhaps? Why was she talking about humans in the third person? “Hey. Uh, what are you talking about?”

“Then again,” the woman continued, as if Anna had never said a word, “I do not think you are human. To live this long...”

Anna’s blood was boiling. This woman was  _ insisting _ that she’d met Anna, but Anna didn’t remember...then again, she hardly remembered anybody. She had no reason to. But this woman—no, Anna wouldn’t forget her. 

_ Well, if she’s lived long enough to see me before, then that must mean she’s living a pretty long time, too, right? I...guess I have nothing to lose, in that case. We’re probably keeping the same secret. _

“Actually,” Anna said, slowly. “I haven’t lived very long.”

“You continue to lie to me?”

“No. I’m not. I don’t live all that long. I just live a lot.”

The woman’s lips parted slightly. She must not have known everything, then. She sure seemed surprised. “Excuse me?”

“Keep your voice down, alright? It’d be a real hassle if the villagers found out.” Anna leaned in. “Look, it probably was me that you saw before. But, I don’t quite remember. Because that was another life. I’ve died, and lived, and died, and lived, and died again...get it?”

“I...that is...”

“So!” Anna sat back, feeling a bit loosened up. Right. She’d almost forgotten she didn’t have anything to lose. Sometimes she still got caught up in worldly worries before she remembered: she had no attachment to anything. No worries. “Why are  _ you _ here? Huh? You saw me before, right? You seem confused by me dying over and over. Is that not it? You got something else going on?”

“Anna,” the woman said. Her voice was strong, but cool, as if she’d completely recovered from her prior shock. “You do not know who I am?”

“Nope. Not a clue. Like I just said, I don’t remember much.”

“No. Although I have seen you, we have never spoken directly. I saw you not too long ago—but before Mother and my brethren began to spread our gospel. Now, we are a household name, are we not?”

_ Mother? Gospel? Household name? _

Oh. 

Anna was definitely speaking to a saint.

“You’re, uh...S-Sothis’ kid? Right? A saint?”

“Yes. I am Saint Seiros. On behalf of my mother, I travel across Fodlan, bestowing blessings, knowledge, and humanity to its people,” Seiros explained. 

“Um, a bunch of people here really wanna meet you. Why are you hiding from them?”

“The same reason you are hiding. It is easier. Besides, I am merely an underling of my mother. She is the one who people truly wish to see.” As if to drive the point home, she pulled her hood tighter around her head. As she did, though, Anna managed to see the tiniest glimpse of emerald green hair. “I will keep your secret. I have no reason to expose you. I simply wished for you to tell me the truth.”

“Yeah, well, that’s it. Don’t worry—I’ll keep your secret too. For free!” Anna gave Seiros a wink, feeling oddly at ease. To find someone else who might have understood what it was like...it was relaxing.

“For free, hm? What an honor.” Seiros seemed genuine, smiling from beneath her hood. “You are quite fond of good sales, aren’t you?”

“Nothing else to do, ma’am. No matter how many lives I live through, one thing stays the same—I’ve always got some coin.”

“You have infinite lifetimes to live, an opportunity that many wish they could have. And yet, you waste them on trivial, monetary matters? What about forging bonds with people, learning from others,  _ teaching _ others?”

Anna wanted to be annoyed at the woman, but...she almost seemed naive. Like she’d never known pain, never known confusion or loneliness or suffering. Maybe all saints were like that. Anna wouldn’t tell her, then. It’d be unfair to taint someone like that, someone so adorably stupid that they saw eternal life as a positive thing...she’d learn. Anna would give her the short of it. “Yeah, well, it’s a bit different for you and me. You live one long, continuous life, with all of these people that you get to make bonds with and stick around for. Me, I just die, and die, and die again. And I wake up on different parts of the continent, the  _ world. _ So, why bother with people, anyway? I never stick around long. Besides, even if I did reincarnate and see the same people again and again, I’d outlive them, wouldn’t I? So, I keep to myself. Being alone is really just easier.”

“...I see. That is...quite the problem. I suppose I understand your motives a bit better, now.” Again, a frown through the hood. The woman seemed genuinely upset by Anna’s predicament. Maybe Anna had said too much.  _ I never get to talk to anyone about this. Why not vent when I get the chance? _ “Thank you for satisfying my curiosity. Perhaps we’ll meet again.”

Seiros walked away, a sway to her body as she did. Anna chuckled to herself.  _ Meeting again, _ Anna thought, shaking her head.  _ She’s out of her mind. _

* * *

In Anna’s next life, she woke up to a rumble. She wasn’t in a comfy bed in a cozy house; she was in a tent.

_ Another war, maybe? _

She’d joined in on more wars than she would have liked to, over her lives. A campaign in Ylisse, a rivalry in Nohr. But, somehow, this one felt different.

“Anna! Anna, get up, now!”

The flaps to her tent flew open. Gods, she didn’t even have time to get herself together! The man before her was in a hurry, with tousled dark green hair down to his chin, and stern eyes, and—pointed ears?

Where the hell  _ was _ she? 

“Wh-what? What’s going on?”

Anna saw a flash of light coming through the flaps of her tent. Then, another rumble, as if the Earth were splitting in two. “What are you doing?! Nemesis is approaching, we need your help! The other knights are already suited up!”

_ I’m...a knight? But that’s not right. I’m a merchant! What the hell is this? _ In all of the other wars she'd joined in along the way. She’d never just  _ woken up _ as a knight. When she threw her legs over the side of her bed, she felt something even stranger: the distinct lack of coins in her pocket.

She wanted to search the room, look for her proceeds, or the title deed to her shop, but the man wouldn’t take no for an answer. He was throwing pauldrons and gloves and a lance her way, and she had no time to think. Really, if she didn’t hate the  _ pain _ of dying so much, she would have thrown herself on her lance just to escape.

When they stepped outside of the tent, Anna was surprised at what she saw. The sky itself looked so unnatural, a burnt orange color. Through the trees her tent was hidden away in, she could already see corpses littering the ground.

_ This...this is messed up. _

“Hurry,” the man said, mounting a wyvern stationed outside of the tent. “We haven’t time to waste.”

Anna groaned inwardly, but took her lance in hand—she much preferred a sword, but fine—and surged forward. As they grew closer, she heard the clashing of metal, smelled the sharp iron scent of blood. She hadn’t seen battle like that in a couple of lifetimes, but it wasn’t foreign to her.

_ I guess I have nothing to lose. _

As Anna began to approach the mass of fighting forces, the sky lit up again, and arrows of red light came shooting down. The man seemed unfazed, flying off into the distance and leaving her forgotten. Whatever the situation was, Anna didn’t really need to understand it. She wouldn’t be living long, it seemed.

She fell in line with the other knights bearing armor like hers, striking down those who looked different. She moved on autopilot, it was a blur. She stepped over bodies, some those of her so-called comrades, trying to watch her own back and keep herself alive for as long as she could.

_ Just some more characters in the book, _ she thought, gritting her teeth.

More missiles, more explosions and rumbling, more strangled screams and more bodies—until, finally, it seemed to come to a standstill. The other knights gathered into a circle around something, and Anna pushed through to the center, heart pounding. 

She lifted her helmet up just enough to see the scene before her: a muscled, shaggy-looking man, laying bloodied on the ground in front of a woman. Her hair, although tinted with dirt, was a silky seafoam green. She held a blade in her hands—a unique blade, one that’d fetch a pretty price on the market, Anna reckoned—and then brought it to her cheek.

The knights around her watched the scene in awe. There was something gripping about it, something Anna couldn’t forget. There was something  _ sick _ about it, but something that made her never want to forget it. 

The crowd began to murmur. The woman stood, and Anna saw the blood, all over her dress and her hands. The man beneath her looked butchered. Had she done it?

Anna felt dizzy, trying to piece it all together. The whispers grew louder.

“That man...he killed Sothis?”

“Who could do such a thing?”

“Saint Seiros...she’s all bloody...”

_ Saint Seiros? It’s her? _

Anna took a step forward without thinking, threatening the still landscape—nothing was moving except chattering mouths. Saint Seiros herself, still holding the sword tight, looked at the knight stepping in front of her, looked at Anna. But, no—she wasn’t looking  _ at _ her, she was looking  _ through _ her. Anna could feel it, the blankness in her stare.

“Seiros,” Anna said. Her own voice sounded foreign to her without her chipper drawl, without a sales pitch. When had she ever sounded like that? “What happened?”

“Thank you,” Seiros said. She wasn’t looking at Anna anymore, instead looking at the masses of scarred, confused knights. “Thank you...for your help. Sothis has been avenged.”

A slow clap spread through the crowd. Seiros seemed unresponsive. Near her, the man who woke Anna up was clenching the reins of his wyvern for dear life, a grimace on his face.

Anna wanted to forget.

* * *

Something about Seiros repelled and attracted Anna at the same time. She wanted to go to the woman, so badly, and talk to her again. Anna was dismissive the first time they met, writing Seiros off as some naive little girl who’d never felt pain. And perhaps, at that time, it was true. But on that battlefield, Seiros was  _ feeling, _ feeling something so deep and mournful that Anna had tried so long to run away from.

So, she kept on running.

The war ended. She travelled, far away from the site of the battle. She set up a shop from scratch. And then, she died.

Again, and again, and again.

Every time, she told herself she’d forget about it in the next life. Next life, she’d forget the blood on Seiros’ cheek. Next life, she’d forget the bloody, lifeless body of the man she’d killed. Next life, she’d forget the whispers after the battle, talking about how Seiros stabbed him over and over and over, even when it was clear that he was dead. Next life, she’d forget the empty stare in Seiros’ eyes, devoid of hope. Next life, she’d forget this character in the book, although she was a tragic one.

But she never forgot. She kept remembering, over and over again, no matter how far she ran from Fodlan. Seiros’ face, her voice, her words.

_ What about forging bonds with people? _

_ Perhaps we’ll meet again. _

* * *

Anna woke up in a village like any other. Counted her coins, walked out the door, greeted the locals.

“Jeralt and Byleth left,” a woman said, shaking her head sadly. “Went to Garreg Mach.”

“What a shame,” Anna replied. Jeralt and Byleth. Two people she didn’t know, and never would. But, ever since she saw Seiros on that battlefield—no, ever since she met Seiros in the market—she had started to think about those people. Those  _ characters. _ About the emotions they felt, the relationships they had. The lives they lived. Jeralt and Byleth. Two names, belonging to people who...did what?

Not like she could ask.

“To think Jeralt used to be the captain of the Knights of Seiros! Didn’t even know.”

“The what?” No. Anna didn’t care about blowing her cover anymore. That name, that name— “The Knights of...?”

The woman chuckled nervously. “Anna, did you hit your head?”

“Guess I did, eh? Right, right, the Knights of Seiros. Yeah. At Garreg Mach.”

“Yes...”

Anna felt numb. Empty. She realized that, maybe, for the first time in all of her lifetimes, she had a goal. Something to look for other than a full pocket.  _ Someone _ to look for. “Garreg Mach...I wonder what the markets are like there.”

* * *

Anna rarely travelled in her lifetimes. She always had a shop and a house to live in, so why bother? But, this time, she had a reason. So she packed up and left Remire, going towards Garreg Mach.

It was a monastery, she learned along the way. The saint-worshipping had gotten more boisterous—it was a surprise that she hadn’t heard about it long before hearing about the Knights of Seiros. More interestingly, though, she was hearing about a goddess.  _ The _ Goddess. She was left unnamed. There were religions in other continents like that, but they were usually polytheistic. 

_ Even if I don’t see her, _ Anna thought,  _ going here will be a good way to brush up on my knowledge, yeah? _

...But she wanted to see her. Seiros. Wanted to see how she was doing. Maybe have some tea and a chat, sell her a few things, or...

Something. Anna had almost forgotten how to interact with others.

She arrived at the monastery, and saw so many people—nuns, monks, knights, students, children, animals. It was bursting to the brim with life. And, hell, she couldn’t help thinking it: the people there definitely had some money to spare.

Anna went straight for the market, and began to assemble her stall. It was a quaint thing, but she knew the quality of her products, and knew how to make people pay for them. She’d ask the customers, she decided. They’d know about her, where to find her.

Soon enough, a customer came. A blue-haired, blank-stared woman. Something about her face reminded Anna of Seiros, after the battle, but Seiros had emotion in her eyes. The woman before her, though...nothing. Even her way of speaking was boring.

_ Yikes. _ Still, Anna had to ask someone. The woman bought some seeds, and after the transaction was complete, the woman began to walk away.

“Could you wait a second, please?” Anna called out.

The woman turned around, coming back to the stall. “I have a class in five minutes.”

“Oh, you teach here? At the academy?”

“...Yes.”

“Nice, nice. What house? You all are split into houses, right?”

“Black Eagles.”

Okay, enough small talk. The woman didn’t seem particularly invested in the conversation, anyway. “Cool! Well, uh, don’t wanna hold you too long. I just wanted to know, where exactly can I see the head honcho around here? Saint Seiros?”

The woman finally showed some expression: a confused, almost disappointed frown. “Y-you want to meet Saint Seiros?”

“Yeah. I know she’s probably busy or whatever, but—”

“I’m pretty sure she’s dead.”

“...I’m sorry?”

“The saints are all dead,” the woman repeated. “I think. I’m not from here.”

“No, no,” Anna said. Again, her voice sounded foreign, like that day...she couldn’t believe the weakness in her voice. The slight desperation. But she’d finally  _ found _ something, something to cling to. Seiros wanted her to find something, right? And she did. So, if Seiros was  _ dead, _ then...what? What else was there? “That’s not right. You see, Seiros is—you know what? Fine. Never mind. I’ll find her myself.”

The woman’s frown deepened. “If you’re looking for something spiritual, I guess you could ask Archbishop Rhea. She’s very open to people asking her questions about this kind of thing, as long as you’re not offensive.”

Anna stood up, locking up her merchandise. “Sounds like a plan. Would you be a dear and take me to her?”

* * *

Anna had never been too deep inside the monastery. After all, she wanted to gather some intel before she went in. The professor that she was following behind seemed to know it well, taking her straight to a staircase. Once they reached the top, they went through a massive set of double doors, into what looked like an audience hall.

And standing at the end of the hall was her.

Seiros.

“Ha! I told you,” Anna said, smirking. “She’s not dead. Saint Seiros is right here! Jeez, kid, don’t pull my leg like that.”

“That’s...the archbishop,” the professor said, brows knitted.

The rest of the people in the room looked startled, including Seiros. Before Anna could say another word, someone was rushing towards her. A stern face, serious eyes, dark green hair down to his chin...

“I remember you, too,” Anna said. “You were there, at the battle. Over there, isn’t that Saint Sei—”

“Come with me,” the man demanded, taking Anna’s arm. Yeah, it was definitely the same guy. Still a stern little jerk. “Now.” Anna turned to the professor as she was forcefully dragged down the hall and into the office, with Seiros following behind her...and pointedly looking away. The man slammed the door behind all three of them, turning to Anna with a furious, red-cheeked expression. “What in the  _ Goddess’ _ name is wrong with you?!”

“What?”

“I remember you,” the man said. “You used to be a knight, yes? How  _ dare _ you endanger the archbishop’s life like that, trying to reveal her identity?!”

“Listen, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Anna insisted. “Honest! I—”

“Seteth,” Seiros said. Or, was she Seiros? Anna was starting to confuse herself, honestly. “Please, lower your voice.”

“Rhea, this is serious! This woman is—”

“She is a friend of mine. Do not worry, I will take care of this.” The man was incredulous, shooting daggers at Anna with his eyes. “Leave us. Go reassure the worshippers in the hall.”

“This is...this is unbelievable,” the man mumbled, shaking his head. He left the room, slamming the door just as he did when he came in.

Seiros sighed, lowering her head. The tension in the room was thick. “Hey,” Anna started, “I’m sorry if I caused any trouble, I...you just look like someone I used to know.”

“No. I am Saint Seiros. And I remember you, Anna.” Anna’s heart skipped a beat. It was really Seiros in front of her. She looked so different, in all of the regalia, and with the kind smile on her face. That was the first time Anna had ever truly seen her. That day on the battlefield, she was so furious, so emotional...and the first day they met, her face was hidden. But Anna finally got to take her in, with a kind smile and gentle eyes. 

“So, you  _ are _ Seiros! But, then...I don’t get it. Why is that guy mad? He’s a saint, too, right? I remember seeing him.”

“He is a saint, just as I am, but that is not common knowledge today. We’ve concealed our identities. Today, I am called Rhea, and he is called Seteth. Please, when we are around others, refer to us as such.”

Anna shook her head. Maybe giving herself a good jolt would make the thoughts in her head settle. “But why? This is...there’s so much I have to ask you. What happened back then? And what happened between then and now? We’ve got a lot of catching up to do! I came a long way to get here, y’know.”

Seiros—Rhea, rather—looked surprised. “You...you did? Why?”

“To see you. I heard your name when they were talking about the knights here,” Anna explained. “And I just had to...I don’t know. Tie up loose ends, I guess? After the battle, I just tried to disappear, kinda. Because it was hard to deal with what I saw. But I never really stopped thinking about you.” 

_ Oh, that sounded weird, _ Anna thought. Even weirder, Rhea replied, “The feeling is mutual. My mind has wandered to you often, Anna, wondering what had become of you. I couldn’t bring myself to speak to you after that day, either. I was...ashamed.”

“For what? For killing that man? He killed Sothis, right? Your mother? Serves him right.”

“No. That is not all.” Rhea glanced at the door, as if to make sure it was closed. “It was not just her. So many of my brethren were slaughtered by him, and I was unable to stop him until it was too late. And I realized that you were right. I dismissed the idea of living such a lonely life when you said it—I had my family to think about, then. But...they’re never permanent. I only realized it when I had lost everything. Getting attached to the people that I loved...is that not the reason why I felt such sorrow, then? I judged you for saying such things, but you were right, weren’t you?”

“That’s...that’s what I said, yeah,” Anna responded, quietly. 

“...I did not throw myself into sales as you did, though,” Rhea said, a bit humorously. “Instead, I changed my name. I rewrote history to erase my mistakes. And I founded the Church. Despite it being created in my name, it’s—”

“—to worship the Goddess, right? Your mother.” 

“Yes. It is."

They both went silent, then. It was...a sad ending to a sad story, Anna thought. Rhea was the most tragic character she’d ever met, and—

_ No. She’s really more than just a character. This kind of pain...goes way beyond a page. _

“I’ve been thinking a lot,” Anna said. “About you. I couldn’t stop. And I guess this doesn’t mean anything now, but I  _ wasn’t _ right. Okay? And if you still think I was right, then  _ you’re _ wrong. Because  _ you _ were right.”

Rhea’s face darkened a bit. No, not darkened—it fell. Like she was shrinking. “I am not sure I follow.”

“All that stuff I said about never getting attached to anything, it was a lie. I lie a lot, because it’s easier, but—I don’t know. It seems like me and you are destined to meet each other, so why not be honest? I get attached to things all the time, and I just ignore it. But I couldn’t ignore you. The things you said to me stuck with me, and I thought about it all the time, and I realized that I  _ was _ forging a bond with you. And I think you’re forging one with me, too. And it isn’t just me. You had your family to think about, and even if you think you left it behind, and you’re fine with living alone, you’re not. Nobody really is. So, sorry. Sorry I said all that stuff to you back then. We can’t change anything now. I can’t go back to all of the lives I lived and try to love the people I knew, and you can’t save your family, but we can...we can do something new. We have a long time ahead of us, and the world is pretty big, yeah? I’ve passed up on a lot of stuff, but it’s never too late, for people like us.”

As Anna spoke, she gauged Rhea’s reactions. She seemed to be contemplative, overall—Anna was just glad that she was listening. “A long time? We have forever,” Rhea said, almost a bit sad. “Living that long...it would be easier, to be alone.”

“No, it’s not. For me, it’s different. Even if I die, I’ll come back again, right? So you don’t have to be alone! Anna’s here to satisfy all your companionship needs. For free,” Anna said, winking. “Besides, I could use a friend, too. It’ll help me work on my customer service skills. As long as you don’t get sick of me, I can stick around here for a while. And if something happens to me...well, the monastery is pretty famous now, right? As long as I make it back to Fodlan, I can always make it back to you.”

Rhea laughed. “You would tire of me first, I assure you.”

“That’s not true. We can get to know each other a little better, all this time we have—but I can tell you already, we’re gonna like each other,” Anna insisted. She wasn’t used to this, cheering people up. She’d never really tried. But she  _ was _ good at making an argument. Usually for higher prices, but whatever. It seemed to be working. “Bringing a whole new meaning to ‘best friends forever’! How ‘bout it?”

Anna held out her hand—shaking on deals was common within the merchant’s business. Rhea seemed hesitant. “Anna, I cannot make this promise unless you make me one in turn. It would devastate me, if you were to never return, and I continued to wait for you...you must come back, if you truly wish to be my friend. Otherwise...”

“I know I said I lie a lot, but I promise you I’ll come back. I mean it,” Anna said. A promise like that may have been hard to keep. Where would she wake up next, how far would she be? What would she have to go through to get back? And yet...she promised to do so without even thinking. To have someone to look forward to. A character on a page that she wanted to read over and over again had come to life. “Shake on it. C’mon.”

Rhea took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a brief moment. When she opened them, they crinkled with a smile. “Alright.”

She took Anna’s hand in hers—man, those were some pretty soft hands—and they shook on it. “Just like that, you’ve got a friend for life,” Anna said. “A good deal, if I may say so.”

“I think so, too. I’m...rather excited,” Rhea admitted. “I think you will enjoy the monastery. We have plenty of noble students from wealthy houses, so I am sure you will make a profit!”

“I like the way you think! Say, weird question. Have you ever thought about giving autographs for money?”

* * *

Anna died the next day.

Probably one of the more embarrassing deaths, if she had any say in the matter. To make a long story short, Garreg Mach had too many staircases that were far too big, and even smart little merchants like her got unfortunately clumsy sometimes.

She woke up in a bed she’d never slept in before in a room she’d never seen before. She sat up, counted her coins, then went outside. A neighbor was there to greet her—a teenage girl.

_ Might as well cut a few corners. I’ve got somewhere to be. _ “Excuse me, kiddo?”

The girl turned to her. “Good morning, Miss Anna.”

“Yeah, good morning. So, um, where are we? How far are we from Garreg Mach?”

“Wh-what? Miss Anna, are you alright...?”

“Oh, I’m peachy! Just answer the question, please,” Anna said, sweetly.

“Garreg Mach...it’s about four hours west of here, by horse,” the girl said.

_ What a trip...the traveling costs are gonna kill my wallet. Oh, well. I gotta keep my promise. I’ve got a friend to see! I’ll just ask her to give me some of that sweet church money to reimburse me... _

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanna do a sequel to this where they actually become girlfriends but if you know mimi you know she's lazy !


End file.
